The present invention is directed to a fixture for securing an electrical connector, and more particularly to a fixture which can be easily secured to a wall or other panel to permit an electrical connector such as an outlet plate (e.g., modular plug for a telephone, television antenna outlet, computer terminal connector, etc.) to be mounted on the wall or panel.
Electrical wiring may be desirable in the walls of a home or other building for many purposes. For example, wiring may be used to carry electricity to power outlets mounted at convenient positions on a wall, or to carry television or telephone signals, or for other purposes. Such wiring typically terminates in an outlet plate which attractively mounts an appropriate electrical connector(s) to the wall, so that electrical equipment can be selectively connected to the wiring within the wall. Particularly in the case of power outlets, fixtures known as "outlet boxes" are mounted within the wall to provide supports for the wall plates and to enclose the interior connections thereto.
Although various outlet box designs are known, a typical configuration might include an open-mouthed metal enclosure having four sides and a back, with flanges being provided at the opened mouth to accommodate screws for mounting the outlet plate and with openings being provided in the back to permit passage of wiring. This typical outlet box may be mounted by, for example, securing it to a structural member such as a 2.times.4 when the wall is installed.
The typical outlet box described above is relatively expensive to make and difficult to install, particularly if the wiring is being modified in an existing building. Although building codes in many areas provide specifications for the outlet boxes that must be used in particular applications, in situations where building codes and safety requirements permit it would be desirable to mount outlet plates to walls without the inconvenience and expense of outlet boxes.